


The Mundanities of Harrier-dom

by Quillpaw



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2013-01-19
Packaged: 2017-11-26 01:03:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 2,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/644829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quillpaw/pseuds/Quillpaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn't all Players and Noise- being a Harrier can be so much more normal than that. (Collection of drabbles prompted at asktheharriers.tumblr.com)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aftermath

The first thing she was aware of was that she was lying face down on cold concrete. The pain came second, and came hard. Everything hurt- every bone, every muscle, every nerve ending cried out in protest at the slightest movement. Her brain felt like someone had been trying to pull it apart and hastily stapled it back into place. She twitched, convulsed, and spat, tasting copper. “Uugh…”

“You ok, Uzuki?” She didn’t dare try to move her head; his voice was enough. It had cracked; tired, strained, weak.

“Do…I look…ok…?” She didn’t quite manage a biting retort, but it was the best she could do at the moment.

He gave a weak laugh that died too soon. “Aight, bad question. But at least you’re awake…” She heard him fumbling for something metal. “…They’re busted.”

“Hn?” Her fingers curled around the small metal object beneath her palm, confused. “…The O-Pins,” she muttered. “What…?”

Kariya made an attempt to stand, but quickly seemed to think better of it, opting instead to lean against the nearest wall. “It was a trap. I shoulda known- shoulda figured it out sooner…” He flung the tin scrap against the far wall with a grunt. “Damn it!”

The pain was finally lessening, and she attempted to sit up, with moderate success. “So…what? They…they Imprinted…on us. Us, Reapers.” She stared at her own destroyed pin. “It was all a lie. And Mr. Kitaniji, he was the one who—” She cut herself off abruptly, clenching the pin tightly. “That…that… _snake_! I can’t believe- after everything we’d done, all the work we did- he just _used_ us like that!” Her pin joined Kariya’s against the wall.

Kariya was silent for a few moments. “They saved our lives. …Non-lives.”

Her head hurt too much to interpret Kariya’s vagueness. “Who…?”

“Skulls and Phones. They coulda Erased us, but…they busted the pins instead.” He managed a smile. “Knew that kid was to soft t’be a Reaper.”

Her cheeks flushed deeply, a strained expression on her face. Words failed her. “Those two—! Nngh!” She hurt too much to rage. She needed to go lie down. She could be properly furious at them later. Kariya laughed quietly.


	2. Tin Scrap

She was not one to pace and ponder her past, think about deep, important moments and decisions she could have made. Nostalgia just wasn’t her thing.

Then she found it, sitting innocently in a used pin bucket in Edoga. The edges were scuffed, revealing the dull metal beneath the design, but she would recognize the emblem anywhere. She picked it up, testing the weight in her palm, shifting it from hand to hand contemplatively. While not the worst, the incident ranked as one of the most brutal Reaper massacres in history. All because of this tiny, innocent-looking pin. Her hands shook faintly.

The clerk offered her a smile, failing to notice her distress. “Pretty awesome, huh? Those were super-rare back in the day, CAT originals. Then their value just dropped like a rock, found ‘em in the garbage everywhere. No one knows what killed them off so fast. Weird, right?”

“…Yeah. Weird.” For a few moments, she said nothing, her eyes half-closed. She tipped her palm, letting it fall back in with the other worthless pieces of tin.


	3. The First Wager

“Alright, the mission’s out. Let’s get them while they’re fresh.” She got to her feet, looking out over the crowds of bewildered, unsuspecting Players.

“Nah.”

She froze for a moment, slowly turning to look back at him. “What?” Her tone was icy.

“No thanks,” he clarified, waving his everpresent lollipop dismissively. “I think I’ll just stay up here and relax for a while longer.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Um, hello? This is our _job_. Do you want to be Erased? Let’s get while the getting’s good!”

“Mm…” He leaned back, looking skyward thoughtfully. “Eh, boring. Maybe if we had something to make it more interesting…” He gesture vaguely with his lollipop. “Like, a game.”

“That’s stupid! Either you do your job or you get Erased. The Officers don’t care if you think it’s boring! Now come on already!”

He obviously wasn’t listening. “What about a race? Hm?” He smirked at her. “Or a competition? The one who bags the most Players at the end of the day treats the other to a hot bowl of ramen.”

“That’s st—” She stopped, letting the idea sink in. “…Huh. That actually sounds…pretty interesting.” She grinned. “Alright, if it’ll get you off your lazy butt!”

Kariya got to his feet, smiling faintly. “Aight. May the best Reaper win.”

She giggled, producing a handful of pins. “Oh don’t worry, I plan to!”


	4. Twice in a Row

“…Is that even legal?”

“Hey man, I dunno. Conductor says we’re working next week, we’re working again next week.”

“But why? That’s such a pain.” A heavy sigh escaped him.

His partner gave him a look, snorting. “Man, you have got to stop asking dumb questions like that. We’re grunts- it’s not our job to _think_ , it’s our job to Erase Players.”

He rolled his eyes, toying with a pin between his fingers. “Are there even enough Players to reach a quota? I mean, most of ‘em got Erased last week, didn’t they?”

“You’re still asking questions.” A smack to the back of the head knocked the pin from his fingers. “Look, I know it’s weird, ok? But it’s not our job to worry about this shit. If it was an Emergency Call or something, then you can start worrying. But it’s just an extra Game, so let’s just do our jobs and never talk about it again.”

“Aight, whatever.” He picked up the pin, tucking it in his pocket. “…What's an Emergency Call?”

His partner let out a groan, smacking his forehead. “Man, I hope one day you have to partner up with a newbie and they ask _you_ all these dumbshit questions.”


	5. Shadow Ramen

“I dunno about this, Uzuki. Don’t you think Ken Doi’s gonna get mad for cheating on him like this?” Kariya stood in the doorway, eyeing the place.

“Oh come on, we’re just going to try it once. I want to see what all the fuss is about!” Uzuki grabbed his wrist, forcibly dragging him inside and over to a table. “I was talking with some people and apparently they used to have a whole dinner show thing- like, the cooks would dance while they made it.” She drummed her fingers on the table. “But they don’t do it since they re-opened. Pretty lame.”

A meek-looking but earnest young man came over to take their order, acting with genuine enthusiasm. Once the boy had vanished again, Kariya spoke. “He look familiar to you?”

“No.” Uzuki frowned. “Why would he?”

“…Never mind.” Kariya leaned back in his seat, tipping it onto two legs. Uzuki put a hand on his knee, forcibly yanking him back down. “…Spoilsport.”

The boy returned after a while, carrying two large bowls. “Two Shadow Steak Ramen. Please, enjoy!” He bowed politely before scurrying off again.

For a few moments, neither spoke. “It…it has a steak on it.”

Kariya prodded his experimentally. “…Can’t even tell what kind it is, there’s so much in here.” He shrugged. “Well, here goes nothin’.”

“…Well?” Uzuki didn’t touch hers, waiting for Kariya’s verdict.

He looked rather thoughtful. “…It’s not terrible,” he decided. “There are a lot of different flavors in there, but it…works, somehow. The steak adds a hint of beef, and it’s not over-cooked or anything. Definitely not worth its price tag, though.”

Uzuki shrugged, finally giving her own a try. “You know, I hear they let regular customers try this other kind of ramen, it’s supposed to completely rock your world.”

“I don’t think we’re gonna be regulars, Uzuki. You really want to shell out this much every time you lose one of our games?”

Uzuki made a face. “…Ok yeah, we’re going back to Ramen Don.”


	6. Playing Hero

He was out of instant ramen. Yeah, it was that stupid. He just grabbed whatever flavor sat on the eye-level shelf and was just about to pay when the man walked in.

“Alright, everyone on the floor, now!”

He crouched low, shelves hiding him from the man’s immediate view. Some isolated part of his mind boggled at how someone got their hands on a gun like that- and then used it to rob a corner convenience store!

The gun was trained on the cashier, an older woman with wisps of gray in her hair, trembling and choking back sobs. “Everything in the register now, bitch.” He chose to interpret her standing frozen in terror as hesitation, and he fired a round into the counter. “Now!”

His body moved before he could stop to think. He surged from his hiding place, grabbing the man’s free arm and twisting it behind his back- stupid. The man just twisted around and he felt the muzzle of the gun pressed to his ribs.

A shot, the smell of smoke and blood, and he crumpled. Dimly he could hear the man shouting. “Anyone else want to try that?!”

His lungs burned and no matter how he struggled he couldn’t seem to catch his breath. As the world around him dimmed a final, barley coherent thought flickered across his mind. _Shit, see if I try to play hero ever again…_


	7. Dinner Date

“Why are we doing this?” Uzuki hissed, trying to hide the flush of her cheeks.

Kariya sighed heavily. “I told you, I lost a bet.”

“A bet?” Uzuki repeated. “With who? Who else do you play your dumb games with?”

Kariya waved a hand. “Details. Now come on. We need something…date-like to do.”

Uzuki huffed. “…If you’re going to make me go through with this, you’re at least paying for my dinner.”

“Aight. I’ll—”

“You’re not buying us ramen. That isn’t a date! We do that all the time!” Uzuki cut him off. “Something really special.” A rather evil smile lit up her face. “Gonpachi.”

Kariya stifled a groan. He was about to protest, but thought better of it. “Fine, fine. I’ll…I guess I’ll pick you up from your place around 6.” He started to leave when Uzuki called after him.

“Wear something nice! I don’t want you embarrassing me!”

—

He arrived at her door surprisingly at the right time, fidgeting slightly in front of the door. He had managed to scrounge up a collared button down shirt and a dark tie, along with a pair of matching slacks. His hair was, of course, hopeless, but he had managed to pin it down slightly more successfully than the average day.

“Hey, Uzuki. We’re gonna be late…” He trailed off as the door opened. She was wearing a dark blue thigh-length dress that was fitted to show off all the proper curves, a black sash tied at an angle about her hips, with matching heels and glittering earrings.

She frowned. “You want to pick your jaw off my landing?”

Kariya closed his mouth, blinking a few times. “Ah, you…”

“I’m overdressed, right?” Uzuki sighed. “I knew it. I guess I just need to—”

“You look great.” She stopped, surprised. Kariya smiled, a genuine one. “Really. It’s perfect.” He crooked an arm for her, gesturing. “Shall we?”

After a moment, she slipped her arm in his. “This is just for tonight, you understand? And when anyone asks for details, they don’t hear any of it. You tell them anything and you’re not getting any of your stupid lollipops for a month.”

He led her away from the apartment, watching her out of the corner of his eye as her cheeks tinged pink. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonpachi is a trendy, moderately expensive restaurant in Shibuya specializing in soba.


	8. Winner

She stood over him, tapping her foot impatiently. “Um, hello? The mission’s out? Are we going or what?”

Kariya sighed heavily, lounging against the air conditioner. “Now?”

She made a noise in the back of her throat. “Yes, now! If we don’t get them, someone else will!” Kariya continued to hesitate, and she gave a very noisy sigh. “You want to play one of your stupid games? Will that get you off your lazy ass?”

A smile found its way to his face, and he sat up. “It might. The usual, then?”

“Is is the usual already?” She huffed, but a smile of her own was threatening to show itself. “Yeah, yeah, winner bags the most players, loser treats to ramen, I got it. Now let’s _go_!”

—

“So, that makes seven Players and one Pact pair for me,” Uzuki hummed, kicking her legs idly against the side of the building. “Think you can measure up to that?”

Kariya chuckled, twirling his lollipop between his fingers. “Aight, aight, you got me. Looks like I’m treating tonight.” He held up his hands in defeat.

Uzuki let out a victorious laugh. “Looks like you’re not as invincible as you thought! You can’t even win at your own game!” She was on her feet, leaning over him tauntingly. “Come on, all this hunting has worked up my appetite. I think I might need an extra bowl tonight!”


	9. Guitar Hero

Neither of them owned the game of course; neither of them would have much time to play it if they did. Their first encounter with it was at one of 777’s Game Over parties- a celebration of a work-week well done.

777’s penthouse was decked out in his band’s swag and accessories to the rocking lifestyle- including, naturally, a huge flatscreen TV and every gaming console available. There was a large crowd gathered around as an unofficial Guitar Hero tournament was set up. Bets were being placed, and 777 promised a bag full of brand new Def March swag to the last man standing. Naturally, they had to participate. Uzuki had jumped in at the first mention of a prize, only to be soundly walloped by a Wall Reaper who’s name nobody bothered to remember. As she went off to sulk in the corner with a wine cooler, Kariya stepped up.

“Mind if I give it a try?” BJ and Tenho exchanged looks, then grinned at him.

Kariya examined the tiny plastic guitar Tenho had slung around his neck, frowning a bit. “Ever played before, man?” Tenho asked, picking up his own.

“Never even held the controller before,” Kariya reported. “Go easy on me, huh?”

“No way, man.” Tenho grinned at him. He did obligingly bring the difficulty down for the newcomer…from Expert to Hard.

Fingers rattled across keys and the wailing solos of a rock ballad filled the penthouse. Kariya’s face was perfectly neutral, all his concentration on the screen. Tenho was concentrating a little too hard, and he winced at every sour note. Neither had a perfect score by the end of it, but one came out a solid 200 points ahead.

Kariya sat down beside Uzuki with a cup of beer in one hand. “Tournaments over,” he reported.

“Like I care,” she muttered. “Guitar Hero’s a stupid game. Of course the actual rock band is gonna be stupidly good at it.” She snorted. “I didn’t need more merch anyway.”

“Oh, then I guess I don’t have to give you this?” Uzuki’s eyes widened, and she immediately snatched the pin from his fingers.

“You didn’t _win_?” She looked at him suspiciously.

“Nah,” he admitted. “I came in fourth, I think. It’s sort of a consolation prize.”

She looked down at the pin, frowning. “This is like, brand new. It’s not for sale yet. Someone would pay a fortune for this.”

“Probably.”

“I can’t take this from you.”

“Yeah you can.” His tone was amused.

She smirked at him. “Yeah, I totally can.”


End file.
